Scorcher
by 22sweet
Summary: Nate squeezed her hand reassuringly. “It’s just Chuck and Blair. What’s the worst that can happen?” - A summer fanfic! C/B centric! R&R - chapter 6 up - more chapters to come!
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

So I was thinking that I was going to continue adding to my one-shot "An Unholy Union", but then a little something happened that I like to call the abomination that was "the season finale of gossip girl". Lol jk. It did have very nice c/b moments and lovely d/s angst. But of course then there was the cliffhanger. (sigh) The writers just can't leave us happy for once. I can't wait for season two in the Hamptons to see how everything plays out. I'm seeing some n/s, d/v, and, of course c/b possibilities!

In order to help heal our grieving hearts, I have decided to write a fanfic that will take place after 1x18. And unlike the finale, it WILL have a happy ending, dang it. I'll try and update as often as possible. It's blair/chuck – centric, so hopefully it will help fill the void in all of the little chair-loving hearts out there! Enjoy.

_**Scorcher: A Chuck and Blair Fanfic**_

**Prologue **

"_Remind me again why I didn't hire someone to do this?" _Blair Waldorf reprimanded herself grumpily as she heaved her last piece of luggage onto the bed. Unzipping her suitcase, she sighed. Her luggage may be heavy, but it wasn't the only thing. Ever since she had left New York, she felt as if her entire self was being weighed down, something that wouldn't go away, even by spending some time in France. Like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, as the saying went. She just couldn't seem to shake it off. Hopefully, a change in scenery would make a difference.

After spending several weeks in Europe for the summer, Blair had decided to come back to the states to ride out the the rest of her vacation, as requested by her best friend, Serena Van Der Woodsen. Blair had been happily enjoying a late brunch outside on the verandah of her father's villa when Serena first called Blair with her plan. Blair could just envision her best friend's pouty smile, evidently present even when simply talking over the phone. As always, Serena's voice had been enthusiastic and cheery, though not entirely too convincing.

_Come on, B, we haven't seen each other this whole time! Look, we're here at Bart's summer home, there's a spare bedroom next to mine, and I've already gotten an ok from my mom. And don't give me any excuses. _He_ is out half the time anyways. Not to mention his room is on the far side of the house._ _Anyways, Nate's coming too, and I'm sure they'll keep each other occupied. Ewww, B!! That's so not what I meant! Seriously, I think you picked up one too many bad habits from my step brother. Kidding! Well, whatever they do together isn't the point. I won't take no for an answer. You're coming, even if I have to leave for France to pick you up myself!_

And that's where the phone conversation left Blair now. Packing her many belongings, getting ready to jet off to the Hamptons. Besides, she wasn't going to let anyone, especially _him_, ruin her vacation and sabotage quality time with her bff.

Looking inside her Coach bag and rearranging her many pairs of Jimmy Choos and Manolo Blahniks, her eyes came to rest on a simple black box that was previously hidden beneath her designer heels. Eyes softening, she reached into her suitcase and gingerly took the small box into her hands. Running her fingers over the leather that the box was encased in, she slowly sat down on her bed and opened it. A dazzle of reflected light greeted Blair's eyes as she gazed down at the contents. The Erickson Beamon necklace.

She had packed it on a whim, she recalled darkly, when she _thought_ she would be spending a week with _him _at the beginning of the summer in Italy. Tuscany, to be exact. Despite these less-than-welcome thoughts, a flood of memories rushed back into Blair's mind, triggered by the sight of the necklace. The memories made her blissfully forget, even if momentarily, about all of her worries.

_He tenderly reached his arm across her, placing the exquisite piece of jewelry against her neck. While he clasped it from the back, she lightly felt his warm fingertips brush against her smooth skin. Looking into a mirror on the wall, she watched, breathless, as his hand then trailed to her collar, adjusting the gems perfectly. Making eye contact in the mirror, she heard him say, in a soft voice, "Something this beautiful should be worn by someone worthy of it's beauty". Her heart fluttered, and she reached up instinctively to touch the gift. Looking at her with sincerity, he continued, "I really am sorry." _

_A waterfall of emotions crashed through Blair, and overwhelmed, she lowered her eyes. She felt his gaze on her. His hands once again brushed against her collar, but this time she reached up and folded her hand on his own. The touch of his lips against her shoulder caused her to turn towards him. She looked at him, gasping inwardly at the clarity and wanting in his dark eyes. Slowly, she leaned in, brushing her lips gently against his. He responded immediately, intensifying the kiss. Their lips touched again and again, each kiss hungrier than the last…_

_Ring. Ring._ Snapping out of her thoughts and looking down at her side, Blair's previously serene expression instantly hardened. The LCD screen of her cell was slowly flashing, as if mocking her, illuminated with the bold letters of the caller id. "_Of course,"_ Blair thought bitterly. She picked up her phone and tossed it aside violently, not bothering to answer. Turning back to her luggage defiantly, she continued to pack up the rest of her things. After a minute, her cell finally stopped ringing and the screen started to blink. _One missed call: Chuck Bass._

_**R&R as always :)**_


	2. Chapter 2

You guys are the best. Warming my heart and making me laugh. And who am I to withhold chapters from those that can make me smile? :D Keep the reviews coming! I love to hear from you.

Ok since I got so much positive feedback, I'm went ahead and released the next chapter. But the next time I update, it WILL be awhile! For real, seriously. I haven't written much of chapter three at all. But expect it to be up in a couple of days!! Maybe faster, it depends ;) We finally get to see some Chuck in this chapter! Woot, woot. Get excited :) hahahha. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own gossip girl or any of its characters :(

**Chapter 2**

_You've reached Blair Waldorf. I'm not in right now, but if you could leave a message I'll get back to you ASAP. _Chuck Bass rolled his eyes at the familiar and formal voicemail. It was about the hundredth time that he had called Blair this summer and she was still refusing to answer his calls. "Isn't this getting a little old, Waldorf? You can't avoid me forever. My dear sis tells me that you will soon be joining us at our humble abode. I knew it was only a matter of time before we were under the same roof again. Now if I could only get you back under my sheets, I could truly die a happy man." Chuck smirked, satisfied with his message.

Walking back to the Tahiti themed bar, he sat down next to an athletic male with short sandy blond hair. "Did she pick up this time?" the blue-eyed blond inquired curiously. "As expected, no," Chuck replied, signaling the bartender to make him a drink. "Scotch on the rocks."

Nate Archibald shook his head, smiling. "Well man, after what you pulled, I wouldn't answer your calls either." Chuck cocked his head. "Which is exactly why you and I would never work out Nathaniel," he said with a crooked smile. Nate laughed, and took another swig of his drink. "She should be getting here pretty soon, huh?"

Chuck nodded. "Serena mentioned something this morning saying that she would be arriving today." He paused, remembering _exactly _what Serena had said.

"_And if you so much as look at her the wrong way, Chuck, I swear to God I will come looking for you". Chuck smirked. "Is that supposed to be a threat or a promise, sis?"_ _Serena let out a small sound of frustration before attempting to compose herself. "Chuck," she said in a controlled calm, "It took a lot to convince Blair to come down here, so don't make me regret asking her to." _

_Chuck walked up to Serena and lowered his mouth to her ear. "Say the magic words," he purred. "UGH! PLEASE, Chuck!" She pushed him away, hard, and stomped out of the room, brushing in a huff past Nate, who was just walking in. "Bad time?" Nate asked, eyebrows raised. _

"Ah, right. She didn't seem too happy with you this morning, did she?" Nate said, his blue eyes twinkling. His mirth filled expression turned serious, however, as he spoke again. "Seriously though, Chuck, I don't think Blair is going to readily forgive you anytime soon. I mean she gives you a second chance and then…"

"I don't need to be reminded, again, thank you," Chuck interrupted. He sighed closing his eyes. He really had made a mess of things. Was it his fault that Gossip Girl had opened her huge mouth? _No, but Gossip Girl wasn't the one who was unfaithful_, a voice in the back of his mind whispered. "_I wasn't_ unfaithful, _dammit_," Chuck said to himself sullenly. "_Besides, I'm Chuck Bass, I can practice infidelity if I damn please_." Opening his eyes back up wearily, he turned back towards Nate. "I know I screwed up. But you've got to know where I'm coming from, Nathaniel. I'm just not that guy."

"What guy?" Nate asked, confused. Chuck looked at him exasperatedly. "You know, a _relationship_ guy," he said painfully. "I'm young, free, independent, too much of all three to be tied down. I have _needs_. It was fun while it lasted, but Blair was right, I'm no you. She's better off without me." Chuck took a large gulp of the drink the bartender put in front of him. "Besides, I'm only calling Blair because I want to make sure that we maintain strictly friendly relations."

Nate, watching him closely, started to shake his head once again. "Sure, that and the fact you haven't talked to her in forever. You did tell me you loved her, after all." He peered at his best friend. "Man, Chuck, you are still _so_ into her," he stated, matter-of-factly. Chuck sputtered on his drink and glared at his best friend. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Recovering, Chuck looked at Nate knowingly. "I wouldn't call the kettle black if I were you, Nathaniel." Smiling smarmily, he continued. "Or should I say gold? Everyone knows how you love the color. Spoken to my shining step-sister lately?" Nate looked at Chuck sheepishly, choosing to ignore the question and settled instead on focusing his attention on the umbrella garnish of his drink.

Laughing, Chuck looked past Nate, spotting a pair of leggy, platinum blondes in skimpy swimsuits. He grinned. "Lucky for you, I've spotted a temporary replacement. Enough of this depressing talk of balls and chains. Nathaniel, my boy, we're going to find you something to do on this hellhole of an island. You didn't come all the way down from the Upper East Side to sit and chat." And with that, Chuck pulled Nate up and started walking towards the girls.

XOXO

"BLAIR!!" Serena squealed, running up to her best friend and unceremoniously throwing her arms around her. "I'm so glad that you're finally here!"

Blair let herself be squeezed by Serena's hug for a second before replying. "S, I love you and I am very happy to see you too, but I think you may be cutting off my circulation, and it's making it quite difficult to breathe," she said, smirking.

Serena immediately let go, but continued to radiate her excitement by slightly bouncing up and down. "Oh! Sorry, B, I didn't realize." Serena smiled widely. "So what do you want to do first? Tanning by the beach? Spa day by the pool?" Blair pursed her lips. Oblivious, Serena continued enthusiastically. "Oh I know! There's this adorable new hang out spot that seems to be all the rage, you would like it, it's not too crazy, very mellow, although it _is_ themed."

She beamed at Blair, who sighed, frowning. "I don't know, S, I'm really tired, I haven't even gotten a chance to settle down yet, and you already want to go out somewhere?"

Serena's face visibly fell. "I'm sorry, Blair. I was just so excited, we haven't seen each other in forever. I forgot that you might want to rest or something." Blair rolled her eyes inwardly. How could she say no to that? "_The things I will do for my best friend. Serena should consider herself extremely lucky_," Blair thought. She smiled forcibly. "Well, it is a beautiful day. I _suppose_ it is a good idea to go and relax somewhere before heading off to the infamous Van der Bass House". "_And that way, I can put off seeing_ him _for a little while longer_," she added to herself silently.

Serena squealed again, even more loudly than the first time, if possible. Blair flinched a little, but continued to smile, putting up a good face for her best friend. "Yay, B! This is going to be so much more fun with you here. So do you want to go to that new spot I was telling you about? It kind of has a little tiki hut thing going on."

"Joy," Blair said, rolling her eyes. "A tiki hut. How quaint." Serena laughed. "B, I swear I will get you to loosen up by the end of this summer." She paused, a new brightness filling her eyes. "That's my new mission for these next few weeks!" she exclaimed happily, linking arms with Blair.

Blair simply shook her head as they walked up the path. "This is definitely going to be interesting."

XOXO

_**Spotted**__: Our __**Queen B**__ traveling from the vineyards of France to the white sands of the __**Hamptons**__. Best friend, __**S**__, was there to meet her with open arms. What's the matter __**B**__, need a hug? It's been awhile since I spilled the __**dirty**__ on your last bf. _

_Said ex-bf, __**C**__, seen with bff, __**N**__. They were hanging with some __**busty blondes**__. Now, now, boys, I know you can do better. Besides, it looks like the gang's back together for the summer. In this __**heat**__ someone's sure to get __**burned**__, and I'm dying for the __**scandal.**_

_You know you love me,  
__xoxo,  
__Gossip Girl _

XOXO

Nate flipped his phone closed before looking at Chuck, who was still staring at his cell. "Well, it looks like she's here man." Mutely, Chuck nodded, and proceeded to down the rest of his scotch. He turned to the girl next to him, a sexy smile playing on his lips. "Katrina, would you mind terribly if you and Jessica retrieved refills for Nathaniel and I?"

Katrina beamed, tossing her dyed hair before rising. "C'mon Jess, let's go". Together, they sauntered over to the bar. Watching them, Nate commented, "They seem nice."

Chuck rolled his eyes and replied sarcastically, "They are _very_ nice. And I'm sure they will continue to be so until they manage to grasp what they are looking for in our pockets." He smiled slyly. "And I don't mean that in a way we would desire either."

"Not every girl is a gold-digger, Chuck, contrary to your beliefs," Nate said disapprovingly. Chuck glanced over at Nate, tearing his eyes away from the girls' curvaceous bottoms. "That may be true, but I, for one, refuse to trust any girl that wears polyester clothing." Seeing the look on Nate's face, Chuck slapped him on the back, and continued, "Don't look so grim. Take my advice, Nathaniel. Stick to the girls that are up to par. Don't stray from our circle of class and status. It's the safest bet." Chuck rested his hand under his chin thoughtfully. "Although I must say, I think I have sampled most of what the UES has to offer."

"Didn't find any to your liking?" Nate said, rolling his eyes in return. Chuck considered his best friend's question. "_Just one,_" he thought to himself, imagining a certain brown curled vixen. Replying offhandedly to Nate, "I'm here with you and those two enticing pieces aren't I?"

Nate looked over Chuck's shoulder, his smile widening. Grinning, he replied cheerfully, "I totally agree with you." Surprised, Chuck glanced at him again, suspicious of his best friend's tone. Smiling even more extensively, Nate added slyly, "You know, Chuck, it's like you said. It's all in the circle."

Imitating Chuck, Nate gave him a slap on the back, and then pointed behind him.

Following his hand, Chuck looked up to see a familiar golden-haired blonde and a shorter, petite brunette. His heart jumped, and his stomach dropped as he stared. _Fantastic._

_Blair Waldorf_.

_**Constructive criticism is welcome, as always. Remember, more reviews equals more chapters faster! :)**_


	3. Chapter 3

Hello all. I know it's been awhile since I've updated. Sorry for the delay! I'm the slowest writer ever! Well, at least this chapter is slightly longer than the others. Lol. There's also lengthier flashback than usual in this chapter. But I felt it was kind of important. Once again, I'll try and update asap. So I suppose a few more days. Anywho, it's finally time for Chuck and Blair to meet face to face!! Gasp! :) Enjoy!

**Chapter 3**

_Chuck Bass. _

_Unbelievable. _Blair thought, ducking her head quickly, and hiding noticeably behind her best friend. "Serena!" she hissed, fuming. "I believe you _failed to mention_ that a certain _Bass_ would be here!"

Serena looked worriedly at Blair before replying anxiously, "Blair! Do you honestly believe I would do that to you? I didn't know that they were here, if I did I would've never suggested coming."

Knowing that Serena spoke the truth, Blair sighed. But that still didn't prevent her from being enormously irritated and displeased. "Really, what are the odds? Leave it up to Chuck to ruin an otherwise perfectly gorgeous day," she spat. "Can we please leave before they see us?"

Blair grabbed Serena's arm, eager to leave the distastefully decorated, so-called "hot spot". If she had wanted to vacation in Bora, Bora, she would have done so.

They had taken only few steps when Serena stopped abruptly in her tracks. "Uh-oh," she said. Blair looked at her impatiently, "Uh-oh, what?"

"I think they see us."

With dread, Blair peeked over Serena's shoulder at the two males. Sure enough, Nate was pointing at them, while Chuck sat there, unmoving, an unreadable expression on his face. "_Wonderful," _Blair thought.

"Well let's _pretend _that _we_ don't see _them_, S! Now let's go!" She tried pulling on her arm again.

"It's too late, B, they already know that we saw them. Look," Serena said, apologetically.

After attempting to wave them over, and failing, Nate had gotten up from his seat, tugging Chuck along with him. Nate was now quickly strolling towards them, Chuck not far behind.

Blair looked heavenward for inspiration. "_Why do you insist on tormenting me?"_ She implored silently.

"Serena, Blair!" Nate called. "Hey!"

They both turned towards Nate, all smiles. "Nate!" Serena exclaimed. "We didn't know you were here!" With caution, she glanced over at her best friend. Blair shook her head unhappily before plastering a sociable smile on her face. "It's good to see you, Archibald. Taking a break from New York?"

Blair and Nate had made up soon after Chuck and Nate made amends to their friendship. Blair and Chuck had been spending some time together in Chuck's suite, alone, when Nate had decided to pay his best friend an unannounced visit. Needless to say, it had been awkward between the two exes.

_Blair gave Chuck a dirty look. He was obviously amused, completely content with the ill-ease of his companions. Seeing her expression, he laughed, a gleam in his eye. Suspiciously, she opened her mouth to say something when he interrupted her. "Sorry to leave you two alone like this, but I have to use the little boy's room." Nate got up, ready to leave. Stopping him, Chuck said, "It'll only be a minute, Nathaniel," and left abruptly before Nate could reply. A discomforting silence fell over the room. "_That conniving little traitor_," Blair thought resentfully. _

_A minute passed before Nate leaned back against his chair. Crossing his arms, he spoke. "So, you and Chuck, huh?" _

_Blair glared at him, guarded and wary. "Yes, _Nate_, is there a problem?" He smiled crookedly. "No, no problem at all, I just never thought I would see the day. You dated me for most of your life, and Chuck and I are quite the opposites. Who would have thought?" Prepared with a retort, Blair was going to let him have it, but then she saw that he was laughing. Was Nate Archibald _joking_ with her? "Well, they do say opposites attract," she said with a smile. "Although, you weren't too bad of a catch yourself." _

_Nate laughed, but quickly turned somber. "But I wasn't a saint either. If I was, maybe then you wouldn't have felt like you had to go to Chuck in the first place." A serious expression overtook his face. "I'm really sorry for everything Blair." She nodded, agreement and acceptance reflected in her eyes. "Me too, Nate."_

_Nate looked at Blair thoughtfully. "You know, we've been through a lot together." He hesitated. "I hope that we can still be friends. I mean, _really _be friends. This time."_

_Blair paused, disbelieving her ears. "I'd like that," she said softly. Another period of silence ensued as the two reflected upon their recent truce, pondering it's meaning. After all the pain and the heartbreak, the laughter and the love that the two had shared, this is what it had finally come down to. Surprisingly, Blair found that she felt liberated, comparable to how she felt while dancing on the stage of Victrola. Yet, it was different. She felt at peace, a clarity reaching her mind. She would be okay, she realized quietly. They had reached an understanding. _

_Nate grinned, breaking the moment. Clearing his throat, he winked. "Chuck's a lucky guy. You're a beautiful, amazing girl, Blair. Hopefully he'll treat you better than I ever did." Smiling genuinely, Blair said, "Thanks Nate. Despite everything, you were still my perfect gentleman, a real-life prince charming." _

"And _y_ou always will hold a special place in my heart,_" she silently added to herself. "As for Chuck," she rolled her eyes. "He better." They laughed together softly. Right on cue, Chuck entered back into the room. "Did I miss anything?" he drawled._

"_No, man, nothing at all," Nate winked at Blair again, his eyes dancing. "I gotta run, but I'll catch up with you later." Chuck looked between the two of them, shrugged, and said, "Alright, Nathaniel. Victrola tonight?" Nate nodded and left the couple to themselves._

_Right after the door closed, Blair walked swiftly over to Chuck, poking him in the chest accusingly. "You're horrible, you know that? You planned that on purpose." Chuck's eyes widened in mock innocence. "Now whatever gave you that impression? Virtue is my middle name. In fact, I am well versed in the matter." Contradictory to his words, however, he gave her a satisfied smirk. "You see," he added, "I consider myself an exceptional expert on the subject, especially when it comes to that of a woman's." _

_Blair gasped, knowing what he was insinuating. She hit him playfully. "Well, I know exactly what you did, Bass. And I would agree that it was quite virtuous," she said affectionately, kissing him fully on the lips. _

"_So, I'm guessing I made the right decision in leaving the two of you alone together?"_

"_Why, jealous?" She smiled craftily. Shoving his hands in his pockets, Chuck looked away. "You wish," he scoffed. _

"_No, _you_ wish," she corrected triumphantly. Blair's eyes softened when she saw Chuck stiffen, not meeting her gaze. Gently bringing her hand to his face and turning it towards her, she stared deeply into his eyes. "Not that you have anything to worry about anyways. You're the one for me, Bass, not anyone else." An indescribable look fleeted across Chuck's face, and he responded by placing a tender kiss on Blair's lips. _

_Letting go of his cheek, she placed her hands on her hips, her usual poised and severe demeanor returning. With a cross look on her face, she said in scolding voice, "Now, describe to me why exactly you are…what did you call it? Well versed in the matter of a woman's virtue?" Knowing that she was only teasing, Chuck pulled Blair to him by her waist. "With pleasure," Chuck murmured into her ear. "Although, I'd much rather demonstrate." She laughed, and they collapsed onto the couch together._

It was in this way that both Nate and Blair came to terms that their relationship as a couple was finally over. At long last, Blair abandoned her unrealistic hopes of snagging a fairytale Prince Charming. After all, at the time she _did_ have Chuck Bass. And he was just about the most anti-prince charming that you could get. Nevertheless, they had been together and were very happy. "_Unfortunately, that can't be said for the present moment_," Blair thought with remorse as she prepared herself for what she was sure would be another socially awkward meeting.

XOXO

Chuck groaned inwardly. A fluttering sensation that he hadn't experienced in a while returned to the pit of his stomach, intensifying with each step that he took towards _her_. "_What the hell_," he thought to himself. "_Pull yourself together_." As much as he didn't like to admit it, Chuck was more than a little nervous. He hadn't talked to Blair all summer since the "incident". Taking a deep breath, he caught up to Nathaniel, who was already conversing with the two girls.

"Actually yes, I came down to visit this guy right here," Chuck heard Nate say. Nate patted him on the back as Chuck stepped in next to him. "Yes, well, Nathaniel, I couldn't very well leave you to waste away in New York having to resort to hanging out with Brooklyn's sidekick for the summer."

"We're just friends, Chuck, I told you," Nate said hastily, looking from the corner of his eye at Serena, who was shifting uncomfortably. Nate and Chuck were, of course, referring to Nate's short tryst with the pretty, spunky Brooklyn native with an attitude, who also happened to be the best friend of Dan Humphrey, Serena's ex-boyfriend.

"I never said you weren't," Chuck said indifferently, a sly gleam in his eye. He looked at Serena, "Well if it isn't my beloved sister." Putting as much confidence into his façade as possible, he turned towards Blair. "And my _intimate_ comrade," he acknowledged mockingly, finally looking her in the eye. "Waldorf."

"_Bass_." Blair said his name as though it burnt her tongue. He smiled ruefully. He supposed a harmonious, non confrontational reunion between the two of them was out of the question. "What's the matter, Blair, don't tell me that you're not excited to see me. I know you most sincerely _regret_ not returning my _many_ phone calls." He decided to take a chance and bring up that little fact straight away.

She, however, remained silent, staring coldly at the smug young man before her. Nate and Serena looked back and forth between their two friends like a pair of lost puppies before ultimately resting their eyes upon each other. A silent agreement passed between them through their gaze. "Umm, well do you guys want to go back to the house together already to start getting ready to go yachting tonight? Mom and Bart want us…" Serena trailed off after seeing Blair begin to fiercely shake her head.

Also noticing Blair's reaction, Nate spoke up uncertainly. "Yeah, uh, well thanks, but I think we'll meet up with you later. Right, Chuck?"

Chuck was about to respond until he was momentarily caught off guard by the sudden presence of a coconut shaped glass in front of his face, held by a hand with hot pink manicured nails. "Chuckie," a high-pitched voice sang aggravatingly. "I brought you your drink."

Chuck looked over and saw Katrina, one of the girls that the boys had met before, smiling at him sweetly, and glancing over jealously at Serena and Blair. The other blonde, Jessica, also brought a drink to Nate, who took it from her hands awkwardly before mumbling a thanks.

Blair, looking thoroughly furious and revolted answered swiftly, "Yes, that sounds fabulous." She looked up and down at the two girls who had intruded upon the foursome's conversation. They cowered a bit under her calculating eyes, feeling utterly exposed. Blair wrinkled her nose in disdain. "You both apparently seem to have your hands full at the moment anyways," she said, the disgust ringing clear in her voice. "C'mon, S." And with that, Blair turned on her heel, walking away, leaving Chuck, open mouthed, to look after her wistfully.

Katrina giggled happily, glad that Blair and Serena had left. "_Those two are way too gorgeous for it to be legal_," she thought. "_The bitches must have a really good plastic surgeon_."

She tilted her head at Chuck flirtatiously. "Well, _they _didn't seem very friendly," she said, slithering her arm around his waist. He looked down at her, confused, as if barely noticing her presence.

Registering what had just happened, Chuck looked at Katrina with contempt, delicately removing her arm from his side. "_They_ happen to be close friends of Nathaniel and I," he said icily. Motioning Nate over, he said, "It has been…interesting, ladies, I'm sure, but we have an important event to prepare for tonight and we must be off." The two best friends then proceeded to leave.

Katrina, not one to be put down easily, whined, "You're going already? But, we just brought you your drinks! You don't even want to stay and talk for a little or give us your number or anything?" She pouted sulkily. "_Which only succeeds in making her look constipated_," Chuck noted.

He lifted his glass. "Yes," he said, smirking. "Thanks for the booze," and he started to leave again.

"So that's it!" She cried indignantly, desperate. Chuck stopped, thinking, an idea forming in his mind. "Oh, right."

Giving Nate a devious look he said, "Go ahead, Nathaniel, I'll catch up." Nate made a motion of indifference before continuing on his way. Chuck gave Katrina a smoldering smile, making her blush in anticipation. He walked over, and ran a finger gently across her face. He took out his wallet. Pulling out a bill, he slightly stretched out the bikini line of her swimsuit, and placed the money between it and her skin. "There you go. Now run along." He smiled wickedly, turned, and left without even looking back. Shocked, Katrina looked after him. This time, it was she who was left open-mouthed.

XOXO

"Like they had just stepped fresh off the cover of some cheap, risqué magazine, that's what _they_ looked like, S! How could Nate and Chuck even _think_ of lowering their standards to those two sad examples of a bad, fake tanning gone horribly wrong? Honestly, it's worse than when Britney went for K-fed." Blair threw a couple of designer sundresses from her closet angrily onto her bed. She and Serena had just arrived at the Van der Bass summer house. After a polite hello to Lily, Eric, and Bart who were outside on the deck, they had gone into Blair's room to find a flawless outfit to wear on the yacht.

Serena looked at her best friend sympathetically. "You can't really be surprised at Chuck, though, B, really," she said. "It's Chuck for goodness sakes."

"Not to mention you gave up your right to be jealous when you broke it off with him," she reminded Blair gently. Blair dropped the D&G bathing suit she was holding. "Who says I'm jealous?" she retorted.

Serena began coughing forcefully. "In," cough, "denial," she stressed between each breath. Serena looked up at Blair, her lips upturned in a slight smile, eyes twinkling. Blair picked up a pillow from her bed and threw it at Serena good-humoredly.

"Hmph. Well enough about my romantic tribulations, it's giving me a migraine," Blair changed the subject. "A little awkward when they started mentioning that little boyfriend stealer wasn't it?" Serena's cheeks flushed. "Blair," she said warningly.

"What? I'm just calling it like I see it," Blair interjected simply. "S, you are in dire need of finding someone to help you get over Cabbage Patch. It's been over a month now. It's time to move on. Dan obviously has."

"It's not that easy, B. You know that," Serena frowned. "Besides, I'm not the only one."

Blair straightened her back. "I don't need a guy to make me happy. I'm perfectly content with where I am in my life. I'm at a crossroads, S. This summer is going to be life-altering, I can feel it. And no _male_ is going to change that."

"And why is it that you're giving me advice to find a guy ,while you, on the other hand, don't need one?" Serena teased.

"Not the point," Blair admonished, holding up a floral Marc Jacobs dress. "What are we thinking?"

"Leaning more towards that new ready-to-wear Vera Wang you showed me before," Serena said offhandedly. "We're going at night, so nothing too daytime."

"Why are we going out on a yacht this late anyways, I'd much rather prefer a daytime excursion," Blair asked crossly, while changing out of her clothes. Serena twisted her hair thoughtfully. "We'll do that another day, B, we have the whole summer. My mom just has this romantic notion of being out on the water at night. It's going to be cute actually, candles lit and everything," she said.

"Sounds perfectly romantic," Blair agreed. "So why didn't Bart and her just spend the night out alone? Ugh." She made a face and laughed.

"Oh Blair, please don't put any more images in my head that I don't want there," Serena laughed with her. "I don't know, they thought that we needed some more family bonding."

"While Nate and I are both here? That makes perfect sense." Blair finished slipping on the charmeuse and jersey concoction. "Well?" A contemporary dress with a gathered v-neck and chiffon ties at the bust, the dress clung to her in all the right spots. The deep, ashy blue of the dress complemented Blair's ivory skin tone very nicely, and with its light-weight material, it was perfect for a hot night out on a boat. A white headband and sandals made an ideal contrast to the darker color of the dress, completing the outfit. "Aww, B, you look gorgeous. You'll definitely turn heads tonight."

Blair smiled ruthlessly. Exactly what she wanted to hear from her best friend. "_I'll show _him_ what regret feels like_," she thought, twirling around in the mirror. "_Chuck Bass won't know what hit him_."

**You know how I love reviews! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Wow. Has it really been three weeks since I last updated?? So sorry…and I always used to complain when other fanfic authors would take forever to put up new chapters!! Shame on me. So here's an extra long chapter to make up for it. I'll try to get back on the bandwagon soon and post more often. We'll see. Anywho, it's time for the yacht excursion! Let the games (and drama) begin… Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own gossip girl or any of it's characters! (sadly)

**Chapter 4**

Night fell quickly upon the Hamptons, transforming the sunny, carefree paradise into something far more mysterious and wistful. As the light of the full moon hit the waves, the sea looked as if it were sparkling, filled with millions of precious dark onyx gems. Swirling sheens of dark water crashed lightly against the wharf and grasped at the wooden columns, bringing a scent of sharp salt to the four men gathered there, stinging their noses and watering their eyes slightly. A breeze caressed their faces, and they turned towards it, welcoming the coolness. Despite the absence of the unforgiving sun, it was exceptionally warm, and each of them had taken the liberty of unfastening a few of the buttons on their designer shirts, which were sticking slightly to their damp skin. Hearing crunching on gravel, they looked up to see a limo pull up. The door opened, and one by one, the men could see three figures emerge from the vehicle and make their way slowly towards them.

XOXO

"_I don't understand why we just can't wait for them on the yacht_," Chuck grumbled inwardly. Dressed in a cool, blue Armani casual button-up shirt, he had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. A single bead of sweat gradually moved down the side of his forehead, and he wiped it away quickly. "_A Bass is _not_ supposed to sweat, it's unnatural_."

Everyone had agreed to meeting at the pier where Bart's yacht was docked. Lily Van der Woodsen Bass, ever the perfectionist, wanted more time to get ready for the evening outing and therefore insisted that Bart and the boys go ahead, that she, Serena, and Blair would catch up later. Unfortunately, the time passed by more swiftly then she anticipated and the soft rosy colors of dusk soon turned to sleek black, illuminated with a few stars radiating dimly from the heavens, placated by the bright lights of the many hotels, clubs, and restaurants located at the vacationing resort. This left Bart, Eric, Chuck, and Nate to wait for more than an hour on their female companions. Outside. In the heat.

Bored and annoyed, Chuck sighed. He glanced over at his male cohorts. Nate looked just as bored as he was, gazing vacantly out towards the dark ocean. His father was, well, his father. Bart, impeccably dressed as usual, held himself upright with a straight posture, and was the only one who seemed unfazed by the delay. Chuck turned his eyes towards his step-brother, and smirked upon seeing him bent over slightly and looking utterly miserable.

"Feeling seasick already, Eric? You look a little green…and we haven't even stepped on board yet." Chuck was only half teasing because he knew of Eric's motion sickness. But he actually did look very ill. His face was pallid, more so than usual, void of any color, and he seemed to be sweating more profusely than the others. Eric merely shook his head unhappily in response. Chuck laughed, but stopped when he heard the distinct sound of a car on the road. One of his father's limos drove up to the dock, its silhouette could scarcely be made out against the darkened sky.

"It's about time," Chuck drawled. His father shot him a warning look, and Chuck shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets. The girls sauntered down the pier, maddeningly slow, in Chuck's opinion. Chuck's indifferent attitude was contradictory to how he was feeling, however. He could feel the insects in the pit of his stomach begin to stir, no longer dormant as they had been for the past few hours. He groaned. "_Spectacular_."

His body registered her presence before his mind could. His pulse quickened, and adrenaline began to pump ruthlessly through his veins. He then could make out the bouncing curls of brown silk in the distance, and as she approached, he could swear that his heart actually stopped a moment. Blair was looking absolutely stunning in the dress she was wearing, clinging to her curves in a way that was alluring and sexy. Not to mention showing off those insane legs. Naturally, she managed to pull it off in the most sophisticated way, the height of class.

After trailing his eyes up and down her a few times, Chuck finally forced his eyes away, his body noticeably warmer than it had been previously. Maybe the wait was worth it after all.

XOXO

Blair narrowed her eyes in disgust and leaned her head towards her best friend, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Are you sure there still isn't a way for us to get out of this? The limo is still there, we could make a run for it."

Serena laughed good-naturedly. "Honestly, B, you would think it was the end of the world with the way you're talking. And I for one have not seen you run to save your life, so I don't think you would start now."

"Don't put it past me, S," Blair said warningly. "I'm very practiced in heels, and am confident I could sprint in them." She looked back at the object of her repulsion, who happened to be looking at her intently. "_Ugh, as if I'm a tantalizing piece of prime steak." _She shuddered and looked away. It was sickening.

"Serena," she pleaded one last time. In spite of what Blair was saying, she sneaked a glance back at Chuck, and couldn't help noticing how good he looked. His dark hair was tousled by the wind and he had the perfect relaxed luxury image down. He caught her eye, and smirked. Blair felt a blush creep up to her cheeks, and glared at him. After everything that had happened, why did he still have the unwavering effect of making her go weak at the knees?

XOXO

Upon reaching their destination, the girls greeted the males cordially. Lily strode over to Bart and kissed him graciously on the cheek. "I'm sorry for taking so long, darling, you can't ever seem to have enough time these days." Lily's soft voice carried gently across the air, easing the tension between everyone there.

"It's fine, Lily, it wasn't too long a wait," Bart responded, placing his arm around her waist. Chuck made a peculiar noise, causing each person to look at him curiously.

"Are you alright?" Lily asked, concerned. Clearing his throat, Chuck said, "Yes, I'm fine, simply thinking of how much I _agree_ with my father." Nate and Eric suppressed chuckles, while Blair rolled her eyes. Lily smiled obliviously. "Well, shall we go then?"

The group made their way up the ramp that was situated against the yacht. The fact that it was one of Bart's considerably smaller, older sailing yachts did not diminish its beauty. With a generously spaced deck and wooden floors, it was painted a crisp white, with the words _Love's Philosophy_ gracing the side, the cursive, black lettering bold against the white. Elegant and refined with and old-fashioned design, it was lighted with candles, which cast a faint glow into the velvety dark. Eric was the only one to hang back. "I don't feel too good," he said before blanching, leaning over and heaving up the churning contents of his stomach, which splashed noisily into the water. Lily raced over and put her hand to his forehead. "Sweetheart, are you ok?" She gasped audibly. "You're burning up!"

"I'm fine, mom," Eric mumbled, but then he bent over again for a second round. Another splash was heard against the waves below.

"Eric! You certainly are not ok! We need to get you to a hospital!" Lily exclaimed, her motherly instinct taking over. Not arguing, Eric surrendered willingly, and let himself be guided back to the limo by Bart and his mom. Serena walked briskly after them worriedly, followed closely by her friends. "I'll go with you," she called. Surprised, Lily turned around.

"Oh no! You and your friends enjoy your night out!" She smiled. "At least one of the Van der Woodsens should enjoy themselves tonight." Bart turned his head as well. "Serena, I agree with your mother. Both Charles and Nathaniel have enough yachting experience for us not to worry. Go out, have fun. In fact, I insist upon it. Take the boat out," he finished resolutely in a firm voice, and with that, the three disappeared into the limo and were gone, leaving the four teenagers in absolute silence.

XOXO

Serena turned back towards the others sheepishly. "Well, you heard my mom and Bart. What do you guys want to do?" Blair and Chuck opened their mouths, but Nate was the first to reply. "I think it's a great idea." He looked around at his friends. "It would be a waste to have come out here for nothing, and we have nothing else to do tonight. Why not?" Making a motion towards Chuck he continued, "Besides, we don't want to have been waiting out here all this time for nothing."

"_Speak for yourself_," Chuck thought darkly, giving a quick look to Blair. He would rather be anywhere else, but here. Far, far away from here, and _her_. Damn, he would rather spend the night with Brooklyn in his little hell hole of a house, if you could even call it that. Blair kept shooting him death looks, which was not pleasant. Did he really want to spend the whole night like this? Tapping his foot thoughtfully, he smiled. Yes, he did. This would be fun.

"Nathaniel, I agree with you whole heartedly," Chuck announced. Blair, Nate, and Serena looked at him in surprise. "_What does he think he's doing?"_ Blair thought, irritated. "_No way am I spending a perfectly good night with_ him."

"Well, I think otherwise," Blair stated determinedly. "Serena and I do happen to have better things to do, right S?" She looked at her best friend expectantly. Serena shifted uncomfortably, and unease descended into Blair's stomach. A short period of unsettling quiet ensued, the only sounds being the collision of waves on the shoreline and faint music in the far distance.

"S?" Blair asked carefully, threateningly.

Serena looked up at the sky, away from Blair. "Actually, B, I think that going on the yacht would be a lot of fun. It's been awhile since we all hung out together, and, well, I think that it would be good for us." Serena looked pointedly at her, giving Blair the impression that this wasn't only about reuniting with their guy friends.

Chuck clapped his hands together, making a loud sound that echoed into the darkness. "Right! We have a majority," he smirked at Blair, and motioned back towards the ramp. "Ladies first."

Fuming, Blair gave Serena an angry look before stomping up the ramp. Serena shook her head sadly, and followed. Blair would forgive her, eventually. Maybe she would even thank her in the end. Chuck and Blair had to face each other sometime. Anyways, no way was she going to go the whole summer trying to help Blair avoid her step-brother. She smiled with a new thought. "_And this will help put me one step closer to getting Blair to loosen up_!" With her new found optimistic views in tow, Serena skipped up the ramp happily, eager to start the cruise.

XOXO

Chuck and Nate easily got the boat up and running, and before long, they were setting sail out on the ocean. Blair and Serena leaned over the side of the railing, feeling the wind whip their hair fiercely around their faces. Blair closed her eyes, deeply inhaling the scent of the sea. Exhaling with a sigh, she spoke. "I can't believe you didn't back me up, Serena. You know how I feel."

Serena rested her head on her hands, fixing her eyes on the large expanse of water before them. "I had to do it, Blair. It's unhealthy. You've got to face your problems. Just look at me. I tried to get away from mine, but they still came back to haunt me. Georgina came back, and she ruined my relationship with Dan."

Serena ran her fingers through her long hair. Looking at Blair, the hurt in Serena's eyes was evident. "I try to hide it, B, but it's still really hard for me. It really is. But I've gotta face it. We both do. It's the only way, you know?" A tear slid down Serena's cheek. Blair softened and took her best friend in her arms. "Aww, sweetie, shh, it's ok. No, you're right." She took a step back from the unhappy girl before her. Tears were now streaming down Serena's face uncontrollably, but she still looked as beautiful as ever, a fallen angel. The candlelight fell on them dimly, casting shadows that appeared to be dancing sadly across the floor, in tune with the tumult of feelings that their creators were sharing. "We'll get through this, S. Together."

XOXO

Chuck looked out from the cockpit from which he and Nate were steering the yacht. He was pretty sure that the girls could not see him through the darkly tinted windows. They probably didn't even realize that they were being watched. But Chuck and Nate could see them clearly. Well, as much as could be seen clearly in the dark. The two females were hugging each other, looking troubled. Were those tears he saw?

As much as Chuck didn't like to admit it because it displayed a side of him that he didn't like people knowing about, he truly hated seeing his step-sister so distressed. It made him want to go knock some sense into that egghead, Humphrey dumpty. But, then again, he couldn't blame him either. Both Dan and Serena were at fault when their previously perfect relationship came to a halt. All good things must come to an end. A doe eyed brunette filled his mind, and he immediately shook his head. He didn't want to think about her right now.

"What do you think they're talking about? Serena looks pretty upset, should we go see if they're ok?" Nate asked, worried. Chuck rolled his eyes. His best friend really was so clueless at times. "Nathaniel, I guarantee if you go down there right now, you will only succeed in getting your head bitten off. Let them talk. They can have their heart-to-heart while we do something a little more engaging." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of joints and a lighter.

Nate shook his head and Chuck shrugged, flicking the lighter, and causing the flame to glare up in a flare. He lit the blunt, and took a long drag. "Ahhh," Chuck exhaled. He really did need this, if only to calm his nerves. "That's better."

Nate watched him thoughtfully. "I'm surprised that you agreed with me when I suggested we should go for it," he said. Chuck inhaled another bout of smoke. "Go for what?" he asked, although he knew what was coming.

"Go on the yacht with the girls," Nate said slowly, while turning the steering wheel in his hands. "I would expect that you wouldn't really want to, you know, with Blair being there and all."

"Well then I suppose you don't really know me very well Nathaniel," Chuck said simply. Nate sighed. He obviously wasn't going to get anything out of him right now. "So I'm guessing we're not going to do the whole best friend, heart-to-heart, man-to-man thing right now?" Chuck put down the joint he was smoking and reached into his pocket for another. Lighting it, he then handed it over to his best friend.

"No way in hell."

XOXO

"_Where are those boys?" _

Blair and Serena had spent the last two hours lamenting over their problems and how they could be fixed before they realized that they were famished, and alone. The plan had been that they would eat out on the deck, but with the adults gone, it hadn't really played out, leaving both girls with empty and growling stomachs. They both had forgotten about their sailing companions and wondered where they had gotten to. Serena had gone under to freshen up, while Blair took it upon herself to go look for Chuck and Nate.

"They're probably still steering the ship," Blair mused, walking towards the door that led to the cockpit. A sweet, potent smell suddenly reached Blair's nose, which she wrinkled in distaste. "Ugh!" She slammed open the door, leading her to a remarkable sight for her eyes.

A smoky haze filled the room, and Nate and Chuck were lounging on the machinery, their eyes reddened. Nate was laughing nonstop at Chuck, who had on a captain's hat and had apparently said something extremely funny. The floor was covered in an obscene amount of junk food wrappers, from goodness knows where, while soda cans were lined up where the boys were sitting. They turned towards Blair, not hiding the surprise in their faces. Chuck smirked. "Ahoy there." Nate exploded into a fresh round of laughter.

Not amused, Blair pursed her lips. "I cannot_ believe_ you two! Irresponsible! You're supposed to be steering the ship! What if something were to have happened?!" She strode over to them furiously, taking the small rolls of paper from their hands and stuffing them down one of the soda cans. "Hey! Relax Waldorf." Chuck drawled, attempting to take the can from Blair's hands. "We already put down anchor."

Blair felt a jolt of energy surge between them as they brushed each other's hands, which she was sure he did _not_ feel due to his current state. But there was no denying that the electricity, and attraction, was still there. Cheeks ablaze, she pushed the thought from her mind, and they continued to struggle over the soda until Nate stumbled over between them, attempting to calm the two. "C'mon you guys, stop." The commotion caused a few of the other cans to fall over, spilling onto the expensive wood and equipment located there.

"Now look what's happened!" Blair exclaimed angrily. She walked back to the room's entry, holding onto the door in a tight grip. "By the time I see you again, you had better be sober and have this placed cleaned up!" she ordered. "I did not come on this ship to spend time with a bunch of drug addicts!" She slammed the door behind her. Chuck and Nate looked at each other guiltily before, once again, bursting out into another series of laughter.

XOXO

An hour and a half later, Nate and Chuck found the girls reclining outside, drinking champagne. The candles were well burnt out by then, so Serena had turned on some real lights. Blair looked up at them in displeasure. "Well if it isn't Cheech and Chong," she said sarcastically. Chuck sat next to her in a nearby chair, smiling. "Why Blair, I didn't know you knew the reference. Something you want to tell us?" She rolled her eyes, taking another sip from her glass. "Honestly, this is the worst yachting expedition that I've been on." She looked at the others accusingly. "I _thought_ that we were all supposed to catch up, but now we're going to have to go back to land soon."

"Aww, it's ok, B, we have a whole month left of summer ahead of us," Serena relaxed languidly against her chair. "A whole month of catching up."

"And we have oh _so_ much catching up to do, don't we?" Chuck said, looking at Blair pointedly, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Yes, we do," Blair agreed sweetly before turning to the male blond who was sitting across from her. "Nate," she continued, her voice dripping with sugared syrup, "Tell us, what _have_ you been up to lately? I really haven't talked to you in _so_ long. I'm dying to know." She looked back at Chuck victoriously. Chuck kept his face blank, void of emotion.

Nate moved uncomfortably, knowing that he was getting in between his two friends. "Umm, good?"

"I think we need a little more than that, Nate," Blair laughed lightly. She batted her eyelashes flirtatiously. Nate looked nervously at Chuck, who sat there, immobile, taking in the conversation with dark eyes. Nate got up suddenly. "Uh, you know what? I just remembered, Blair, you, uh, wanted us to clean up the cockpit? Well we finished and, and…" he trailed off, looking around panicked before he rested his eyes on Serena. Another understanding passed between the two blondes, and Serena sat up quickly. "Oh! I should go check if you guys did a good job on it." She stood up to walk over to Nate. "We'll be right back!"

Leaving Chuck and Blair together, they strode off. The two dark haired teens glowered at each other, arms crossed. Blair spoke first. "Well?"

"Well what? You're going to have to elaborate a little," Chuck responded coldly. "It's not that hard to figure out, _Chuck_," Blair spat. "You _know_ what you did, and don't think that I am so ready to forgive you. You had your chance, and you blew it." She banged her small flute of champagne on a nearby table, setting it down. It was a wonder that it didn't break from the impact.

Chuck sneered. "Who said I _wanted _another chance? There are plenty others," he motioned towards the ocean, "in the sea. I don't know what you were thinking, but I happened to just want to be friends. It's over, Waldorf, I get it. Obviously, you still haven't."

He said the words confidently, smugly, but they didn't speak from his heart and he regretted it as soon as they left his mouth. "_I didn't mean it, I miss you, I've been missing you!" _He wanted to scream it out, but the words didn't come. He was a Bass, after all, and his pride just wouldn't let him. His other words hung like a poisonous gas between the two of them before Blair recovered from her shock, the wounded look leaving her face and leaving in its stead a hard stare. "Fine," she said, standing. "But just so you know, I don't want to be your friend." She looked him in the eye unfeelingly. "This friendship is over."

Turning on her heel, she walked away, parting with Chuck, who stared out vacantly into the gloomy night.

XOXO

She had to find Serena.

Blair was entirely taken aback by Chuck's words and it was taking everything in her not to fall apart and hold back the tears. She wanted to leave, go back to shore, to go home. Serena was wrong. There was no need for her to face her problems. Turning a corner, she almost ran into Serena and Nate. Quickly, she composed herself. "I was just looking for you," she said shakily, attempting to mask the distress in her voice and avoiding their eyes.

"Oh, B, we have bad news."

The anxiousness in Serena's voice caused Blair to look up. Both Nate and Serena appeared to be very bothered by something. "What is it, S?" Blair asked curiously.

Nate answered for Serena. "Well, it seems something's wrong with the motor, I'm not sure what, but the yacht won't start up." Blair breathed a sigh of relief. "That's not so bad, just radio for help." Nate and Serena looked at each other before looking at Blair again, who was gazing at them expectantly.

"Well," Nate started slowly, "We thought of that, but the radio doesn't work either. Apparently, we spilled soda on it, and it messed it up." Serena spoke up, interrupting Nate. "And our cell's don't work either." She held up her phone. "No service."

Blair, horrified, could not speak. They couldn't get back to land? They were trapped here? She raised a hand to her eyes. Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. Just what she needed. To be stuck on a boat in the middle of nowhere with the one person in the world she completely could not stand. She was supposed to be on a peaceful vacation! Not in a living nightmare. Stuck on a yacht with Chuck Bass. Lovely.

Blair sighed. Could it get any worse?

**Please, please review? It would make me very happy :)**


	5. Chapter 5

I know. I take forever to add new chapters. sigh. I don't know if I'll ever get consistent with my updates :( Anyways, thanks for the reviews, keep them coming, I love your feedback. I know I promised a lot for this chapter, but I think that was an overestimation because it ended up being way too much information to pack into just one part! That's the bad news. The good news is - that means that I have a lot of chapter six shaped up already! Therefore, expect more from the next one, and faster (fingers crossed). Sooo, without further ado, I present chapter five! Enjoy!!

XOXO

"_Please tell me I'm dreaming_," Blair thought sullenly. "_An awful, horrific dream_." It was just her luck to be stranded on a yacht with a clueless best friend and two moronic ex-boyfriends as her only company. Blair's unhappy demeanor rapidly transformed into fury as she realized the full severity of her situation. Trapped in the middle of nowhere with Chuck Bass! Whipping up her head, she unleashed her anger on the unlucky bystanders before her.

"YOU." Eyes ablaze, she pointed an accusing finger at Nate, who took a tentative step back warily. Drawing herself up to her full height and glaring at him menacingly, Blair stabbed her finger forcefully into his body. "You!" she repeated vehemently. "If _you_ and your precious _boyfriend_ hadn't been complete _idiots_, then _this _would have never _happened_!" She emphasized each word with a violent jab of her finger.

"I know, I'm sorry, I'm _sorry_!" Nate exclaimed, walking back into a wall, hands raised in surrender. "Don't kill the messenger!" Blair followed him step for step, his words clearly not aiding to placate her in any way.

"C'mon you guys, we're not going to get anywhere by arguing." Serena tried to calm her conflicting friends. Her words fell on deaf ears, however, as Blair and Nate didn't seem to hear her. Sensing an impending explosion between the two, Serena suddenly thought it may be an excellent idea to take her leave and seek out a mediator for the duo. If they weren't going to pay attention to her, she would find someone that they _would_ listen to.

"Um, guys, I'm going to go tell Chuck the news, try not to murder each other while I'm gone." Predictably, neither acknowledged her, and at the onset of another of Blair's rants, Serena took the opportunity to disappear from the room without a single glance back, catching some of Blair's angry words as she left.

"You're sorry? _Sorry_?! That doesn't even _begin_ to cover it! _I'm_ sorry if I do hire someone to completely _destroy_ the both of you! I for one would definitely _not_ miss you two sorry excuses for sailors." Blair gave Nate's chest a final heave before crossing her arms, fuming. "If I remember correctly, you two were the ones taking a little trip to happy land while the rest of us were trusting you with our lives! At this rate, we'll be lucky not to be harvesting coconuts with the rest of the cast of LOST." The mere thought of crawling around looking for nourishment and living under a makeshift house made Blair grimace and shoot a fresh batch of enraged glares at the guilty-looking blond.

Being careful to avoid her eyes, Nate opted instead to concentrate on the spot on his chest where Blair had just a moment ago released her wrath, ruefully rubbing the small injury. "Aren't you being a little dramatic, Blair? We knew what we were doing."

Blair responded with a roll of her eyes. "_Right_, just like they knew what they were doing when they were steering the Titanic," she said sarcastically. "Maybe if they had been _paying attention_ then Jack wouldn't now be resting at the bottom of the ocean!"

"Well if that were the case, then we would be missing a classic addition to our DVD collections." Nate tried to joke, failing miserably. Noticing the look on Blair's face, his laugh died on his lips, and he shoved his hands into his pockets sulkily. "Well, at least I wasn't the one to _spill_ the soda," he mumbled under his breath, which he later realized was probably not the best move to make.

Already on the opposite side of the yacht, Serena, who had walked hastily away from the scene, distinctly heard a female shriek, "Excuse me?!" in a voice all too loud to have possibly come from her petite friend. Taken aback, Serena stopped abruptly in her tracks before shaking her head and continuing on in her search for her step-brother.

XOXO

Turning over his glass in his hands, Chuck sat nursing his glass of scotch dejectedly. Wanting to get as far away from the world as possible, he had found a hidden niche to conceal himself, bringing along a few of his friends. Jack Daniels, Jose Cuervo, Hiram Walker, and Jim Beam. It was the cheap stuff, but he didn't care. It got the job done, and faster.

He watched as the amber liquid swirled leisurely in response to the motion of his hands. The manner in which he could manipulate the strong liquor to twist and twirl beneath his fingertips comforted him. He was in complete control. The smooth fluid's obedient movement was a contradiction to his rapidly churning insides, fueled by the incessant, fevered fluttering of those _things_. If only he could control _them_. If only _they_ would act so submissively to his wishes.

The dull glow from the electric lamps only served to intensify the dismal air, casting morose specters onto the wooden floor of the deck. Oddly resembling the shape of a certain familiar insect, the long, black silhouettes stretched out their dark wings tauntingly, hovering over the dim light before expelling the luminosity into shadows. Chuck suddenly felt a rush of compassion for the lantern and it's muted radiance. With his voice full of contrite, he started to speak aloud. "I know how you feel," he slurred.

Taking another drink from his glass, he continued his conversation with his new found confidant. "It's those damned insects, I'm telling you. Butterflies, she calls them. Well, let me enlighten you with a little piece of insight from yours truly."

He indicated the alcoholic beverage he was clutching. "For one thing, this won't help." Laughing coldly, Chuck threw down his crystal glass, which shattered on the floor upon contact. "What you and I need to down is a high quality pesticide!"

Collapsing heavily onto the floor, he gazed at the broken pieces of glass strewn across the wooden deck, still sparkling even in the diminished light. "Butterflies!" he spat reprovingly.

_The city skyline sparkled radiantly against the dark sky, a perfect backdrop for the exquisite picture of beauty standing before it. Her hair was done in an elegant updo, revealing the creamy smooth skin of her delicate shoulders, covered only by short sheer sleeves and black straps. She looked amazing, but he could tell she was sad. "Most likely because of Nate," he thought to himself bitterly. As he watched her look down at the city below her, stunning in her little black dress, Chuck simply could not resist her allure any longer and sauntered up to her side._

"_Are you ready for your present?" He said confidently. Before he could register what was happening, she had painfully grabbed him by his hair, twisting his head down. "Ow!" he yelled, annoyed at this unexpected, and unwelcome, action. "If you wanted to play _rough_, all you had to do was ask."_

_Some groveling, social climber that Chuck had the vague impression that he had slept with before passed them, greeting Blair as she walked past."Hi!" Blair gushed, her voice full of false cheer. "Hello there, happy birthday to me!" She waved, letting go of her hold on him and allowing Chuck to compose himself. She sighed, aggravated. "You nauseate me." _

"_All this talk about how you have to be with Nate or the world will end, face it, it's over." He leaned into Blair in order to stress his words, but also as an excuse to be closer to her. He could now perceive her intoxicating scent, and the faint heat radiating from her body awakened his senses. _

"_You sound like a jealous boyfriend," Blair said disdainfully, unmoved by his subtle advances. Slightly taken aback at her allusion of him showing envy and emotion, he turned away, putting his back to the railing. "Yeah right, you wish," he scoffed, hoping that his indifference would mask his true feelings. _

_Although he was looking straight ahead, he could still feel Blair's intense gaze on him, and with a sinking heart, he knew instantly that she saw right through him. She made a small noise that fell somewhere between a laugh and sound of disbelief before speaking in shock, awe, and realization. "No," she said slowly. "_You_ wish." _

_Alarmed, he felt the sudden need to redeem himself. Putting as much certainty into his voice as possible and praying to salvage his mistake, he turned back towards her. "Please, you forget who you're talking to," he said matter-of-factly, his heart racing with each word. No surprise, she was ready with a quick retort, replying sharply "So do you." This was one time he wished she did _not_ have that sexy ability of keen perception and wit. _

_Just when he thought it could not get worse, she asked a four word question that left his mind panicked and reeling. _

"_Do you like me?" she asked hesistantly, doubtfully. There was a definite pause where Chuck was at a loss for words before he unthinkingly blurted, "Define like." _

_He wouldn't doubt if he was blushing, and he _never_ blushed. _Blushing_ and _Chuck Bass_ were _not_ used in the same sentence. Unless, of course, he was the cause for someone else's. _

_Making incredulous sounds, his petite companion also seemed speechless until she finally choked out a few words. "You've got to be kidding! I do not believe this," she exclaimed, stunned. _

_Now a little angry, Chuck retorted swiftly. "How do you think I feel? I haven't slept. I feel sick, like there's something in my stomach. Fluttering." He struggled to describe the feelings that he had been harboring even since the momentous limo ride._

"_Butterflies?" she suggested, disbelieving. "Oh, no, no, no, no, this is not happening." She paced to the area by the other side of his body._

"_Believe me, there is no one more surprised and ashamed than I am." He said, defeated. He had never felt like this before, what was he supposed to do? He absolutely hated it. It was a desire he could not satisfy. He felt helpless, dependent. He did not like it. At all. Was it his fault that he felt this way? As far as he knew, no, it wasn't. If anything, it was _her_ fault._

"_Chuck," Blair started sweetly. "You know that I adore all of God's creatures and the metaphors that they inspire. But those butterflies have got to be murdered." The way that she said it made it seem like it was the easiest thing to do in the world, like finding a diamond in Tiffany's. He knew better. But for both of their sakes, maybe it was better to go along with it. At least for the time being. "Fine, it wasn't that great anyways," he said pointedly, looking her straight in the eye. A lie. _

"_Thanks." Blair responded, unfazed. He continued to look deeply into her eyes, searching desperately for something that wasn't there, hoping that maybe, just maybe she would say something else. She opened her mouth, and his heart flew. "Now, go back to the party. If I remember correctly, you weren't invited, so leave me alone before I get you thrown out." She ordered. Thwarted, his heart settled back into his chest. "I want to be alone," she said, more softly._

_He left silently, respecting her wishes. Surprisingly, he also felt somewhat hurt, and not because of Blair's violent hair-pulling. He didn't know what, but he had wanted her to say something else in response to his outburst, not 'murder the butterflies'. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he liked how he felt, how she made him feel. It pained him that their feelings weren't mutual. "_I like her_," he realized, astonished. He cared for her. Chuck Bass, the devil incarnate playboy, cared for Blair Waldorf, the bitch ice queen of the UES. Shocked at his revelation he shook his head. "Butterflies," he spat weakly._

Chuck sighed. Yes, he still cared for her. Deeply. Remorsefully, he looked back toward the lamp and the glowing light it emitted. "We should talk more often," he said knowingly.

"There you are!" Chuck heard an annoyingly happy voice say. Flinching, he turned to see Serena looking down on him, hands on her hips. "Who are you talking to? I've been looking for you everywhere! And this isn't exactly the M/Y Eclipse, so that's saying something."

Chuck waved his hand towards Serena dismissively. "Please, Abramovich has nothing on a Bass," he scoffed, referring to the Russian billionaire who essentially owned his own private navy of luxury yachts.

"Sure he doesn't," Serena smiled, tugging on Chuck's arm to help him up. She wrinkled her nose upon noticing the strong stench of alcohol on his person. "Ugh, Chuck, did you take a bath in bourbon or try to invent new line of vodka-scented cologne? You smell terrible!" With a great effort, Serena finally managed to get Chuck to his feet. "How much did you have to drink? We didn't leave you alone for that long!"

"I don't keep count dear sister, but perhaps I did take a few shots here and there. Not really my style, but why not, it's a special occasion." He struggled to keep himself upright, and with Serena unable to support his weight, he fell back onto the floor once again. Exasperated, Serena slid onto the floor next to him. Chuck glanced over at her. "Getting rescued by a Van der Woodsen woman once again, my luck is indisputable," he smirked, remembering the time that Lily had helped him when he was wasted in front of the Palace hotel.

Serena put a hand up in front of his face. "I don't want to know, Chuck." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Seriously, what has been up with you lately? You've been acting weird ever since…" She paused.

"Since what?" Chuck challenged, a defiant gleam in his eye. Serena, accepting the contest, looked at him directly. "Ever since Blair got here." Breaking eye contact, Chuck turned his gaze up towards the ceiling and closed his eyes wearily. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Serena gave him a little shove impatiently. "Oh please Chuck! Stop pretending." She placed a hand on his shoulder gently. "It's ok to still have feelings for someone that you've had a past with." Chuck looked at Serena's hand. "You're right," he said simply, still keeping his eyes on her smooth skin. Surprised and confused, Serena replied, "I am?"

Finally breaking his gaze, he turned to Serena. "Yes," he murmured, leaning in. "Why keep pretending, right sis? You cannot deny the inevitable." He inclined his head closer towards her. Shocked, and anticipating what was about to come, Serena swiftly and wisely ducked, effectively allowing Chuck take a mouthful of her blond hair. "Blergh," he said incoherently, spitting out the long strands. Before he could completely recover, he felt a strong force knock into him, hitting him backwards. "OW!" he bellowed.

"Please tell me that you did not just try to kiss me right now Chuck!!" Serena exclaimed just as loudly. She stood up quickly, running her hand over the back of her hair and wiping it on her dress afterwards in revulsion. "Ugh! I cannot believe you!" She stomped away from the small space. "This is exactly why Blair wants nothing to do with you! Because you pull things like this!"

She glared at Chuck, who smiled up at her innocently. "Can you blame me for wanting to check, ah, 'sibling bonding' off my list of things to do before I die?" He smirked. "You know it's a secret desire of mine to complete every last item on it."

"You are such a pig," Serena said in disgust, turning on her heel to leave. The fuzzy fog of scotch, recklessness, and indifference that clouded Chuck's mind suddenly cleared, allowing him to feel remorse. He had felt a need to get back at Blair, so he did something that he knew would completely hurt her. But he also knew that his reasons were unjustified. The smile left Chuck's face immediately and was replaced with regret. Trying to kiss Blair's best friend. That was definitely not going to earn him any brownie points when, and if, she found out. So he said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Wait! I'm sorry." The sincerity in his tone caused Serena to stop in her tracks. It wasn't every day that you heard Chuck Bass apologizing. Arms crossed, she turned around and raised an eyebrow in interest.

Both relieved and surprised that she hadn't run off, Chuck repeated the short, yet meaningful phrase for emphasis. "I'm sorry."

Serena simply continued to stare at him, making him feel both highly annoyed and uncomfortable. "What, do you want a heartfelt hug or something?"

She rolled her eyes. She supposed she would have to take what she could get. "You need to work on your apologizing skills," she scolded, the irritation evident in her voice.

Chuck scowled. "Don't worry, I don't expect to make them a habit."

Giving him a look of frustration, she tentatively sat down, taking care to put a significant distance between them. "You do realize that this is the second time that you've tried to make a move on me?"

Chuck tried to look innocent. He never could pull off the part of the perfect angel, however, and ended up looking as guilty as ever. A devil in an angel's designer clothing.

Seeing past his act, Serena made sure to get her point across more clearly. "Forcibly," she added, glowering. "What makes you so sure that I'll forgive you?"

Chuck thought for a moment. "Because I'm Chuck Bass." Serena glared at him. He frowned, thinking. "Because of my irresistible charm?" he tried again.

"Wrong answers," she said, making to leave.

"Alright!" Chuck exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "Hang on."

Serena smiled victoriously, and waited for an answer.

"Because…" Chuck paused. She tapped her fingers impatiently

"Because I don't know what I'm doing," he continued in a defeated voice. Questioningly, Serena looked at him, confused.

Hating Serena for making him say how he felt, but knowing he had to or she would run off to Blair, he began to grudgingly reveal his emotions. "Because I have an infuriating feeling in the pit of my stomach," he divulged slowly. "I feel helpless, and I absolutely _abhor_ it. I feel like hitting something, and yelling with the frustration of it." His voice began to gain speed with each word, and he continued in a voice that was growing in strength. "I want to drown myself in vices. Drinking! Drugs!" He motioned around the room. "I want the more than friendly companionship of women. To spend the night with them, and enjoy every minute of it!"

Shouting, he stopped, breathing heavily. Sighing, he went on in a soft voice, "But I know that I never will. Because how can I be with others, when I wholly belong to someone else?" He looked at Serena with a heartbreakingly crushed gaze. "And that someone is the only one I can't have." Shocked, she sat there openmouthed, speechless. He surely wasn't talking about her, was he?

As if reading her mind, Chuck responded to her unanswered question. "With the obvious exception of you, dear step-sister," he smirked, his usual smarmy demeanor returning. Eyes narrowed, he gave Serena one final nasty look. "Satisfied?"

Secretly relieved, Serena disregarded his last comments and asked slowly, "So Blair…?" He responded with a curt nod.

"Chuck that's so…" She struggled to find a word.

"Don't say it," he said dully.

"Sweet," she finished, ignoring him. "In a twisted way, I guess. I've never heard you say anything like this." She tilted her head, thinking aloud. "You know, Blair always told me that you weren't so bad, to give you a chance. Of course, I was skeptical. All you seemed to do was hurt her. And when that whole thing with Amelia happened, well, it was all I could do from saying I told you so, or something along those lines. It was also all I could do to keep from going over and killing you myself. But Blair wouldn't have any of it. She said that she didn't want to make it into a huge deal. But, the thing is, it was a huge deal. To her, anyways. You hurt her pretty bad, Chuck. She won't ever admit it, but you did."

Serena broke off from her tirade and took a moment to try and read the young man seated next to her, but his face was blank. So she continued.

"She kept up a strong front, at first, but after awhile she just broke down. I don't think she has anymore tears to shed." Chuck, finally showing some emotion, looked down, ashamed. Had he really caused her this much pain? She seemed so unfeeling, uncaring even, when gossip girl first broke out the shocking headline. It was a fiery brand, imprinted in his mind word for word, an open wound between him and Blair.

_**Spotted: C cheats on B!**_

_A leopard can't change his spots, and __apparently a __**Bass **__can't change his ways. When you're a __**player**__, it's not easy to quit the game. It is my utmost sadness to report that our Prince of the Upper Eastside has taken a __**mistress**__.__Seen at the Palace Bar, __**C**__ and a __**blonde beauty**__ were caught being more than a little friendly. Even more __**delicious**__, same said blond beauty was seen leaving his royal bed chambers late at __**night**__. She looked quite __**tousled**__. But what about our favorite UES princess, __**B**__? Will it be forgive and forget like with __**N**__? Or will there be a royal beheading? Ah, an __**affair**__ to remember. But don't expect this one to have a happy ending._

_You know you love me,  
__xoxo,  
__Gossip Girl_

"Chuck?" Shaken out of his thoughts by Serena's whisper, he brought himself back to the present. It was too late to change the past now.

"You really do care for her, don't you?" Serena said softly. Chuck didn't respond. "I'm taking that as a yes," she cautioned. Cocking her head mischievously, she said, "Now that I'm actually seeing it for myself, I have to say it's _very_ interesting."

Quick as a gunshot, Chuck whisked up his head. "I don't ever want a word of this conversation repeated. Step-sister or not, remember, I know where you live," he warned menacingly.

Serena laughed. "Well, considering that we live in the same house…"

Chuck interrupted her, still worried that his flighty friend may later disclose his secrets. "You aren't going to tell Blair about our little _moment_ are you?"

Serena rolled her eyes disbelievingly. "Are you crazy? No. I think she's under enough stress as it is." She wrinkled her forehead in thought. "You know what I think your problem is Chuck? You're on self-destruct mode. You don't think about Blair."

"What!? I think about her," he objected indignantly.

"That's not what I meant," Serena said scornfully. "You only think about yourself, no one else. You're, well, selfish." Chuck glared at her, and she shrugged helplessly.

"You do. Blair told me everything, I'm not clueless Chuck. You take what you want, when you want it and don't think of the consequences. Look, first you wanted Blair. So you took her virginity, something you knew was precious to her, not thinking of the consequences or how your 'best friend' would feel. The debutante ball. The blackmailing. The pregnancy scare. You told gossip girl and turned your back on her when she actually needed you for once! She almost moved to France because of that! All selfish. And when you finally got what you wanted, when you finally became a couple, you threw it away. I'm sure for selfish reasons as well. Have you ever taken Blair's feelings into account? What she wants?"

Chuck didn't respond. "I didn't think so," Serena said. "You will do anything to get what you want, even if it means hurting the things you love. And that only hurts you." She looked at him knowingly. "Self-destructive," she repeated.

"Ok, Dr.Phil, I get it," Chuck said coldly.

"I'm just saying!" declared Serena. Pushing herself up from the floor, she smoothed out the creases in her clothes. "Rome wasn't built in a day. If you really want Blair, you're going to have to gain back her trust. Take it slow."

Chuck considered her advice. It wasn't a new revelation that he liked to enjoy himself. And he did do illegal and sometimes hurtful things in order to satisfy these desires. Like he had told Nate before, two of the top things that he cared about were money and pleasure that it brought him. The third was Nate, his best friend. But now, he had something else to add to his list. And it came complete with ruby red lips and silky brown curls. He wasn't selfish when it came to her. Was he?

Serena spoke, once again breaking into his train of thought. "Now since we're done with our little heart to heart, I'm going to go find the other two. I _had_ come to find you so you could help me break up their fight, but since so much time has passed, they've probably already made up. If they haven't already killed each other. Anyways, I think I'm in the clear."

"Why were they fighting?" Chuck asked curiously.

Serena slammed her hand against her forehead. "Oh right! I forgot to tell you. Well, evidently we're stuck here." Chuck gave her a quizzical look.

"On the boat. The motor gave out and the radio and our cells don't work," Serena said, clarifying her words. She smiled. "So, I suppose Abramovich does have something on the Bass legacy." Mistaking his look of delight for dismay, Serena attempted to reassure him. "Think of it this way, at least now you have more time to get back into Blair's good graces right?"

"Easy for you to say," Chuck muttered as she pranced from the recess. He pondered over the new turn of events. Serena did have some good points, and now he knew that Blair genuinely still cared for him. He could definitely work being stuck on a close quartered boat to his advantage. However, overall, he didn't really care what she said. He was going to win Blair back, and fast. His way.

XOXO

_**Press the Button! You **__**know, the one that says 'review'! You know you want to ;)  
**_Lol ok so I hope you enjoyed. I would say that this chapter was a lot of set-up for the next one, and just so ya'll know, there is _mucho_ c/b planned for chapter 6! I know that there haven't really been that many one-on-one encounters with them in the present time, so that's something to look forward to!! Also, I dedicate this chapter to those who urged me to update through PM (they noticed I was taking forever lol). And a happy belated birthday to a reader who's own special day fell on July 8th!


	6. Chapter 6

This chapter ended up being longer than I planned it to be. Which is good news for all you readers I suppose. Lol :) Btw, thank you, thank you for all of your detailed reviews. You guys are the best, seriously. As promised, I put this chapter up fairly quickly. Sorry if it's not up to par, I just really wanted to get it done! I hope the c/b-ness is somewhat satisfying. It's the most that the two have spent together this whole time. Um…so I don't really have that much else to say...except... Enjoy!! :)

XOXO

"So, I found Chuck, but he seemed kind of out of it," Serena started carefully. After seeking and finding her best friend, the two girl pals had successfully locked themselves in one of the two bedrooms located on the undersized boat, claiming it as their own.

"Ugh, don't even talk to me about him," Blair grimaced as she explored their new quarters. The larger of the two rooms, it was rather spacious considering the dimensions of the diminutive yacht. Complete with a vast bed and mini-bar, the room was set in rich creams and golden tones. Lacquered rosewood floors and furniture worked to complement the supple colors, whereas soft lighting gave the space an ethereal feel.

"B, you have to talk about him eventually, it's been weeks…"

Blair waved her hand indifferently, temporarily taking her away from searching the contents of a small dresser. "No, no it's not that. We got into another little tiff. I forgot to tell you because it was right before you dropped the whole 'we're stranded' line on me."

Drawing out a silk negligee from a drawer, Blair held it up to her slim figure, critically examining her appearance in a nearby mirror. "He basically told me that he just wanted to be friends. Please, can you believe that?"

"No," Serena frowned. "I can't."

"You can't believe that he would actually prefer being friends to something a little more appealing to his hormones? Neither can I." Pulling off her dress in one smooth movement, she pulled the silky creation over her head and onto her body, where it settled against her curves. "Wow, S, your mom was really thinking smart when she suggested keeping an extra supply of clothes in here." Twirling in the mirror, she gave herself a satisfied smile before lying down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"They may not be the latest additions to fashion, but that definitely doesn't stop us from looking _fab_ulous," Serena agreed, laughing. She herself had already changed, adorned with a different nightgown. Pretty in delicate pink, the baby doll was composed of layers of silk crepe enriched with inserts of lace, giving her a girly, sweet look that was nevertheless sexy. Still mystified by Chuck's words to Blair, however, she continued cautiously, "Why do you think he wants to be friends all of a sudden?"

Blair rose up her palm in a perplexed gesture. "I don't know. Who knows how the inner mechanisms of his sick mind work. Ugh. Anyways, Chuck is denser than I thought if he actually thinks I would still want to be friends with him. As if I would want his friendship after what he did."

"Huh, that is weird," Serena mused, thinking aloud. "He didn't tell me about this." Blair whipped her head towards her best friend. "What? Did you two talk?"

"Um, what?" Serena faltered. "Not really, you know, just the same old sister, brother…" She gulped nervously. "Bonding."

"Serena! Are you lying to me? Tell me everything!" Blair demanded.

"But I promised Chuck…" Serena wavered.

Rolling onto her stomach, Blair looked at her blond companion scathingly. "S, I cannot believe you. Hello? Best friend?"

"Hello, B, family?" Serena retorted.

Blair raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Are you serious?" she asked.

Serena sighed. "_So much for keeping secrets_," she thought. "I guess not. Ok, but you have to promise not to repeat this. Especially not to Chuck! He actually trusts me for once and I'm sure it's an opportunity that won't come twice." Serena couldn't believe Chuck had confided in her, and she really didn't want him to think he couldn't anymore. She truly did care about Chuck, despite his smarminess.

"It's Chuck, Serena. He'll be fine, believe me." Pleading, Serena clasped her hands together in a begging motion, causing Blair to roll her eyes. "Fine, I won't say anything." Blair raised her hand. "I promise."

"No matter what I say," Serena warned. "And you can't get upset."

"Yes, yes," Blair said impatiently. "So what did he say?"

"_More like what did he do_," Serena thought unhappily. "Well, two things. The main one is that I think he's still into you. Actually, I'm ninety-nine percent sure of it."

Blair's face lit up momentarily before she swiftly composed herself. "Really. Well, somehow I find a hard time believing that, but ok," she replied coolly. "What's the other?"

"Uh," Serena hesitated. "Remember, Blair, you promised not to get mad or tell Chuck anything…"

"I know, S" Blair interjected, her tolerance being severely tested. "What is it?"

Inhaling deeply, Serena thought it best to get it over with quickly as possible. Her words surged out of her mouth in a rush, like people hastening to Bloomingdale's on a sale day. "First off, I just want to say that I'm only telling you this because I don't want the same thing to happen to us like that time when you found out about me and Nate. I don't want to hurt you, but I don't want to keep anything from you either. You're my best friend, and…"

"Please, stop, you're beginning to sound like a guilty boyfriend." Blair interrupted. Registering Serena's words, she froze suddenly, eyes widening. "Wait," she said slowly, painfully. "You didn't, didn't _sleep_ with him did you?"

Horrified, Serena began shaking her head violently. "Ew! No Blair! Of course not!" Serena exclaimed, aghast.

Blair breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh good. Not only would that be completely incestuous, I would have seriously disowned you as a best friend."

Serena paled and Blair looked as her suspiciously. "What did happen, then?"

"He, well," Serena trailed off.

"Just spit it out, S!"

"He kissed me!" Serena blurted, blushing deeply.

Shocked, Blair laid there numbly, confused and crashing down at light speed from the high she had been on from Serena's first revelation of Chuck's feelings. Then, just as quickly, she reacted. "He did what!?" She sat up abruptly, fists clenched.

"But not really! I mean he did kiss me, but not on the lips. I mean he kissed me on my head, my hair! Well he did_ try _kissing me on the lips, but I ducked and so he, he missed," Serena finished lamely. Blair looked as if she might break something and Serena tried to lighten the mood. "It's kind of funny actually, if you think about it," she laughed timidly.

"I'm going to kill him," Blair spat, taking quick strides towards the door.

"NO!" Blair stopped at the feeling of being pulled back by Serena. "You promised, Blair!" Crossing her arms reluctantly, Blair obediently listened to her best friend, but that did not stop her from continuing to rant furiously.

"I. Cannot. Believe. Him," Blair said, venom dripping from every word. "How could he?"

"_She's been saying that a lot lately_," Serena thought sadly. Jokingly, she quipped, "Maybe it was my irresistible charm?"

Blair gave Serena a patronizing look. "What is up with you and Nate trying to joke around in serious situations? This is not a joke, Serena! My ex just tried to make out with my best friend. This is so not ok." She paced across the room. "How can you even think that he still has feelings for me when he's over there trying to kiss you behind my back? Don't you think it's a tad contradictory?"

"No, B, he really does! I just think he's trying to act out," Serena spoke sincerely.

"He's not a child, Serena. Although he may act like it, he isn't. He knew exactly what he was doing. And what he was doing was very, _very_ wrong." Blair rapidly tapped one of her perfectly manicured index fingers against her hip, putting all of her pent up fury into that one tiny movement.

Unconvinced, Serena kept persisting. "I don't know, maybe he was just confused."

"_Why _are you defending him S? He's a bad guy. End of story. He's never going to change." She pursed her lips together in finality.

Serena was about to object when they heard a knock on the door. "Don't answer that," Blair warned, still shaking with anger.

Looking over her shoulder at her resentful friend, Serena responded helplessly, "We have to, maybe someone came to rescue us."

Serena had barely opened the door a crack when Chuck burst through. "If you two think that we," Chuck motioned towards Nate, who followed closely behind, "are going to share a room, you are sadly mistaken. I refuse to sleep in the same bed as Nathaniel," he declared. Sweeping his eyes around the room he put a stop to his claim upon seeing Blair dressed in a little less clothing than when they last parted. She looked devilishly wicked and sensual wearing a black satin-silk slip. A seductive detail was added with a low cut opening and a touch of lace on the back. He knew he was staring, but he didn't care. She looked divine.

Serena rolled eyes. "You can't be serious, Chuck. Well, you're going to have to because there are only two beds and I'm not going to share a bed with you, and I'm sure Blair doesn't want to either."

"You got that right," Blair said coldly, struggling to keep herself from running over and slapping the dark haired young male who was blatantly gazing at her. "Besides, you two have spent the night at each other's place before. I don't see what the problem is." She directed her statement to Nate, ignoring Chuck completely.

"Well when we spent the night, one of us would crash out on a couch or in a guest room," Chuck responded, unwillingly tearing his eyes away from Blair's body and up to her face. He was completely aware of Blair's intentions to snub him, and he would have nothing of it.

"That's not entirely true," Nate grinned, laughing. "Remember that one time we got really smashed and when we woke up we were…"

"Nathaniel, please." Chuck put a hand to his temple while simultaneously shaking his head. "Do you really have to bring that up? Humor me."

"_We don't want to know_!" Serena and Blair said in unison, appalled, and though they would never admit it, partially intrigued as well.

Nate shrugged. "Well I thought it was funny."

Disregarding his friends, Chuck stated bluntly, "The only companions I will ever have in my bed are attractive females. Preferably exotic." He eyed Blair and Serena naughtily. "But either of you would do fine. Who wants to volunteer?" Serena, dismayed and repulsed, looked as if she might be sick, while Blair merely scoffed at his words.

"It doesn't matter either way," the petite brunette said smugly. "You two are sleeping with each other, and that's that. Whether you like it or not."

Chuck gave her a small half-smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Sorry to burst your pristine bubble princess, but the last time I checked this was my yacht. What I say goes."

"Actually, it's half yours now, since you and Serena are such_ close_ family," Blair said, returning his smile coldly. "So that means what Serena says goes as well."

Serena looked at her best friend nervously, afraid she would crack and spill the secrets that she had shared with her only a moment ago.

"Closer than you know," Chuck smirked. Blair stared at him furiously, knowing full well what he was implying. Knowing full well that he wasn't _joking_. "_I promised Serena, I promised Serena_," she chanted feverishly to herself.

"Huh. Well since you are so close, maybe we should switch roommates, because we both know how _close_ Nate and I can be," Blair cooed, her sweet voice contradictory to her livid, cruel eyes.

Serena and Nate groaned. "Stop fighting you guys." As usual, Blair and Chuck ignored them, continuing to throw insults at each other.

Chuck narrowed his eyes. "How could I forget? You did 'spend the night' at each of our humble abodes in less than a week's time. Although I distinctly remember finding you begging at my door on more than one occasion."

"Yes, I do remember begging. Begging you to go castrate yourself!" Blair threw out the words spitefully.

"Now why would want to remove what you have clearly expressed pleasure from oh-so-many times before?" Chuck leered, equally as insulting.

"You're revolting. You must be mistaking me with one of the many sluts that make daily routines through your room." Blair countered, vindictive.

"Blair, Chuck, stop!" Serena exclaimed, exasperated. "Are they ever going to listen to us?" she lamented to Nate, when they once again took no notice of her words. She swore that she was invisible when one of those two got into it. They continued to listen to the endless quarrelling until Serena felt Nate lightly tugging on her arm.

"I have an idea," he whispered. Motioning towards the door and beckoning his fellow blond to follow, he left the room quietly. Following his lead, Serena walked out of the room. Closing the door behind her, Serena inquired softly, "What are we doing?"

Instead of answering her question Nate asked calmly, "Does this room lock from the inside?"

Serena responded slowly, confused. "No, you have to use a key to get in and out."

"Do you have the key?" Nate questioned.

"Yes, I have it," Serena said gradually, as it dawned on her what he had in mind. "But it's a master key and Chuck has his own copy…" Nate dangled a key in front of her, and Serena's eyes widened, her mouth opening in a silent oh.

"Chuck couldn't open our door because he was drunk, so, he gave it to me since I could." Nate smiled mischievously. "He _was_ a little tipsy," Serena said in awe. Her face brightened. "Nate you're a genius!" she squealed, throwing her arms around him. Nate smiled sheepishly, holding her awkwardly in return. Breaking their embrace, Serena was frowning. "What's wrong," Nate asked, afraid he had done something wrong. "It's Blair," she said worriedly. "I don't think she's going to be too happy about this."

"She'll be fine," Nate reassured her. Seeing Serena's vexed look, he sighed. "OK, maybe we should check up on them in like half an hour."

Agreeing enthusiastically, Serena then suggested that they go up to Nate's and Chuck's room to rest for a bit before releasing their friends from their temporary prison. "I really hope they'll be ok," Serena said anxiously as they walked together.

Nate squeezed her hand reassuringly. "It's just Chuck and Blair. What's the worst that can happen?"

XOXO

"You are _completely _intolerable. It's a wonder that our friendship lasted as long as it did," Blair announced frustratingly.

"Nothing I haven't heard before," Chuck drawled. Tired of fighting with Blair and with his liquor-induced buzz fading quickly, he found that he only wanted to appease his thirst for more of the intoxicating drink. "This has been fun, Waldorf, but I have better things to do than argue with someone who obviously loathes me." After bowing mockingly, he walked to the door.

After he stood there unmoving for awhile, Blair made an impatient noise. "Ok, you can leave now. You're presence is sickening, and I would really love to get some sleep."

"Well, you better get used to it because I'm staying here for the night." Chuck dictated sharply.

"You will not!" Blair said indignantly. "Get out."

"I _can't_," Chuck strained, annoyed. "The door's locked."

"Then get your key and unlock it. This isn't rocket science, Bass." Blair shook her head at his incompetence.

"Ok, just give me a moment to pull it out of my ass." Chuck rolled his eyes. "I'm not an idiot. Nate has my key." He walked over to Blair. "So I guess you're stuck with me," he purred in her ear.

"Do you have to be so crude?" Pushing him away roughly, Blair's mind raced. No way was she both stuck on a yacht, _and_ trapped in a room with Chuck Bass. Surely her luck wasn't _that_ bad. Knowing him, he was probably lying.

Striding over to the door to see for herself, she gripped the doorknob and pulled firmly. "It's not going anywhere, Waldorf. You can stop straining yourself," Chuck informed as she continued struggling to open the immovable door.

"I can't believe they did this!" Blair exclaimed. "Oh, they're going to get it when I get out of here." Whirling around, Blair faced Chuck with her hands on her hips. "This is all your fault you know."

"Apparently, everything is my fault when it comes to you, Waldorf," Chuck answered leisurely.

"Don't play that game with me Bass. You only have yourself to blame for your mistakes," she responded haughtily.

"Have you ever heard of a little something called forgive and forget? You should try it some time." Chuck lay back on the soft, down bed, closing his eyes and relaxing into its deep cushioning.

"Maybe if you would actually confess to being wrong, I could find it in myself to pardon you." Blair batted her eyelashes sweetly, before rolling her eyes.

"I didn't realize you wanted to role-play. Please, absolve me of my sins. I'm wrong, so wrong," he pronounced sarcastically. His eyes flew open and he smirked. "Are you going to punish me?"

"There's nothing I can do to help _you_, Bass. You need a full-fledged exorcism to atone for your countless transgressions." She smiled cheekily.

Chuck yawned, feigning boredom. Of course he was pretending. He never really could get tired of Blair's quick wit, they were on level playing ground. But there was no reason for her to know that.

Noticing his gesture of weariness, Blair made her way back over to the bed, attempting to push him off. "And you're not sleeping with me on here, by the way."

"I'm not sleeping on the floor," he responded, fighting her back good-humoredly.

"First you didn't want to share a bed with Nate, now you're complaining about the floor. There's no pleasing you."

"I've _told_ you, I have back problems. You should know."

She threw a pillow at him mischievously. "We are not starting that argument again. You're sleeping down there, and that's that. I don't want to hear it. And I better not find you on my bed when I wake up this time."

Throwing the pillow back at Blair and pulling her down next to him as she collected herself, he trapped her with his body, arms on either side of her. Blair caught a gasp in her throat as she looked up at him.

His dark hair was falling into his eyes, the same eyes that gazed down upon her yearningly. They both tensed, becoming conscious of their current position. Chuck merely smirked while Blair shoved him off of her playfully, each pretending not to be shaken.

"You know you secretly enjoyed waking up to find me at your side," Chuck taunted, disregarding the small awkwardness.

They both realized that the angry arguing that had plagued the two ever since Blair first arrived at the Hamptons had somehow miraculously altered itself back into the flirtatious bantering that they usually engaged in, as she was laughing and he was smiling.

"I think you were the one who most enjoyed that tiny aspect," Blair teased.

"I woke up to being slapped. Yes, very enjoyable," Chuck replied, still smirking.

"What can I say, you deserved it." Blair's twinkling eyes suddenly turned dark with remembrance. It wasn't long after that incident that she forgave Chuck completely, taking him back. At the Van der Bass wedding, he was so sweet, so out of character to say everything that she wanted to hear. And against her better judgment, she gave in.

Chuck became aware of Blair's abrupt change in demeanor immediately. Taking a seat next to her on the bed, he placed a hand on her arm. Cringing, she shook it off at once.

"Don't touch me."

"Blair. What is it? For a moment there I thought we were actually getting along." Clasping his hands behind his back to ensure he would not make the mistake of touching her again, he noticed a chill settle over the room, sending unease to every nerve in his body, putting him on edge.

"We were." She rose, standing in front of the mirror again. "Before I remembered how much of a narcissistic, insensitive loser you are."

"No need for the claws. They _are_ fun in the bedroom, but I don't think this is the right time." Chuck frowned. "You can't stay upset with me forever."

"Can't I?" Blair stared at the girl in the shimmering piece of reflective glass. A pale stranger.

"Did you forget what you did? I gave you another chance, and you threw it back in my face. Like I was last season's Prada. Like I was one of your whores." Previously satisfied with her appearance, she now noticed flaws that she hadn't before. Her usually vivacious curls lay limp, and her eyes drooped from lack of sleep. Traces of smudged mascara fell beneath her eyes, which did not help the situation. Suddenly becoming more self-conscious of herself, she crossed her arms insecurely. "As if I meant nothing."

"Of course you _mean_ something, Blair." Chuck saw Blair gazing at herself, and he knew that she was mentally criticizing her reflection. He never could understand _why_, she was the epitome of elegance and beauty.

As if reading his mind, she spoke disdainfully. "The sweet talking won't work on me this time Bass."

"I'm not trying to sweet talk you," he protested earnestly. He strode over to stand behind her, and for an instant they gazed at one another in the mirror, each trying to read the others thoughts.

Blair broke the delicate moment first, whirling to face him. "Chuck. You, you _cheated_ on me." Finally bringing up the subject that both had tried to erase and neither had spoken of, the room echoed in a still silence.

"Blair, I know what you read on Gossip Girl, but you didn't even give me a chance to explain myself. You didn't answer my calls, you cut me out of your life," he tried to vindicate his actions.

Taking a step back, Blair shook her head sadly. "There was nothing to explain. It was quite clear what took place."

"Hear me out Waldorf," Chuck endured, somewhat desperately.

Steadfast, Blair continued to avoid his gaze. "Spare me the details Chuck"

"I want you to know what really happened." Getting exceedingly frustrated, he took a hold of Blair's chin, forcing her to look at him. Her clear eyes watched his, carrying a multitude of different feelings, swirling and changing like the sky. Light to dark. Thunder to lightning. Sun to rain. "Look at me. What you think happened didn't happen. As much as I wanted to, it didn't. For one reason." Chuck looked into her cloudy eyes more deeply. "You." He watched as hopeful light shone through, granting him to feel the same emotion in turn.

"What are you saying?" Blair asked slowly.

Chuck smirked. "I didn't sleep with her."

"So nothing happened," Blair stated doubtfully, disbelieving. The smile left his face immediately, replaced with concern.

"We kissed," Chuck admitted reluctantly. Blair turned away. "But nothing more." he added quickly.

"_Just like you kissed my best friend_," Blair thought, eyes closed. "_I will keep it together, I will not cry. I will _not_._" She opened her eyes wearily, but her tiredness was not enough to keep herself from glaring at him. "And why should I believe you? Kissing or not, it's still cheating."

Chuck felt that he was struggling to win a losing battle, and he was getting his ass kicked. _Desperate times call for desperate measures_. "Because I care." Grabbing her roughly, he placed a gentle kiss on her stunned lips, soft as the finest cashmere. Blair wouldn't even have known she had been kissed if she hadn't anticipated it beforehand.

Not feeling her struggle or attempt to fight him off, he gave her a more firm kiss, testing her. Soon, he was greedily covering her lips in kisses, missing her taste, her feel. He pulled her against him eagerly. Her tender body flush against his, the thin silk of her negligee allowed him to feel her curves more aptly. The quickened beat of her heart sent a warmth to his whole being. _This is too good to be true_. How he had survived this long without her, he didn't know. Hungrily, he drank her in. He stroked her smooth back, and felt her shiver, causing him to smile.

After a moment, however, he noticed something was wrong. Besides that small shudder, Blair was unresponsive, her lips were unyielding under his. Opening his eyes, he found that she was staring at him coldly. The elation he had felt for once again kissing Blair, a dream he dreamt of constantly, disappeared instantly. He was suddenly brought back to reality._ Too good to be true. _Unease gripped at his heart once more.

When she spoke, her voice was shaking. From anger, grief, or otherwise, he did not know.

"You think that all this will change because _claim_ that you care? You think that it will change because you_ kiss_ me?" She trembled. "If you think that's going to happen, then you really _don't_ know me at all."

And with that, she dashed away, locking herself in an adjacent bathroom, leaving Chuck alone to wistfully, regretfully, reflect upon his reckless actions.

_**Shouldn't I be rewarded for putting this chapter up faster? Maybe for making it longer? :P Review, please.**_


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